January 23, 2010

A Heart for Haiti: Latest update

The situation in Haiti is turbulent right now. Beyond the health challenges in Port-au-Prince are towns and cities that have received little humanitarian assistance. Food and water supplies are inadequate.

People are getting desperate. Aid shipments are increasing in size and intensity. It is a race against time to help tens of thousands of people. And yet, there is still hope for the Haitian people following theseismic shifts on their island.

Supporters of Heart to Heart are helping make the following possible:

A “humanitarian bridge” has been created to Haiti. We have staff in Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and Miami, Florida.

We have already delivered nearly $5 million worth of medicines and supplies to Haiti, and more medical aid is on the way. We are sending aid shipments almost daily to affected regions.

Our founder, Dr. Gary Morsch, is leading the efforts in Haiti, paving the way for more aid and volunteers in the coming days and weeks.

Teams of medical volunteers are arriving every day. They are joining “extreme teams” of 4-5 individuals that travel to outlying, underserved areas for 2-3 days. While in these towns and cities, the teams are addressing immediate health concerns, assessing ongoing needs, and communicating those needs to our command center in Port-au-Prince, so additional aid can be channeled to these regions.

One of those “extreme teams” traveled to Fondwa, epicenter of a magnitude-6.0 earthquake that struck on January 20. They were the first aid group on the scene and began treating the injured immediately. They will remain onsite for several more days, receiving additional supplies and support from our command center.

People can respond in any of the following ways:

Spread the word about our relief efforts through your formal and informal social networks. Follow us on Facebook orTwitter.

Make a financial donation, so the aid keeps flowing to those who need it most. See info below.